lasso learning

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo rounds up $12 million in youth education

The San Antonio stock show and rodeo has announced its annual economic impact.

Photo courtesy of San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo

To tourists, a rodeo is niche entertainment; To Texans, it's a learning opportunity. In addition to the skills practiced by the participants — animal handling, teamwork, strategy — the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo offers education in the classroom, too, through financial contributions.

On May 14, the event released a statement on its annual economic impact, counting a total of $288 million to the city of San Antonio and Bexar County. Among those funds is $12 million for youth education programs across Texas. They will be distributed to more than 20,000 young people via "educational scholarships, vocational training, and agricultural projects."

A graphic on the rodeo's website tallies more than $255 million awarded through education grants, endowments, rodeo contests, and more. Students in every county of Texas have been affected.

"We believe in the potential of Texas youth, and this donation on behalf of our over 6,000 volunteers, sponsors, and partners is a reflection of our dedication to their success," said executive director and CEO Cody Davenport in the release. "By supporting education, skill development, and the agricultural industry, we are investing in the future leaders of our state and ensuring they have the tools they need to thrive."

The statement does not provide a breakdown of impact categories — presumably contributing factors include food, lodging, and transportation. With quite the annual music lineup, a large portion of that may be earned by artists. According to the website, more than 1.5 million people attend annually. Keeping all that running are 6,000 volunteers, a variety of vendors, and a salaried staff.

According to tax filings shared by ProPublica, Davenport received the highest compensation at $513,487. The next highest compensated staff member is listed at $205,493. Executive compensation made up 3.8 percent of expenses, and "other salaries and wages" made up 7.7 percent. It spent $39,877,076 on program services out of $50,413,465 in revenue — about 79 percent.

More information about the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is available at sarodeo.com.

State of the arts

Texas lacks creativity in new ranking of best states for arts and artists

Photo by One zone Studio on Unsplash

Maybe Texas should start directing more of its funding towards the arts.

The arts bring vibrance and color to communities everywhere, but a new report paints a somewhat bleak picture for artists and arts funding in Texas.

Texas ranks 28th in a new report on best states for the arts in 2024 by SmileHub, a nonprofit tech company founded by the same CEO as personal finance website WalletHub.

The report compared all 50 states based on their arts education, accessibility, and the creative arts economy. Factors that helped determine each state's rank include the number of fine arts museums and galleries per capita, the average salaries for fine artists, the share of the population with a degree in visual arts, and much more.

Texas only scored 35.12 out of 100 total possible points. For comparison, New York was crowned the No. 1 best state for the arts with a score of 73 points.

Across the three key metrics in the study, Texas ranked No. 18 for its accessibility, No. 35 for the "artists economy and personal finances" rank, and No. 41 in arts education.

According to SmileHub's data, only 0.03 percent of the state's population holds a degree in visual arts, and the average salary for a Texas-based artist is $52,490.27. That average salary is one of the lowest nationwide, ranking No. 47 overall.

Nevada boasts the highest average salary for fine artists, at about $82,245 on average. That's a big leap over Texas.

Texas also has the 49th lowest federal arts funding per capita, at just $1.33. Wyoming, on the other hand, receives the highest federal arts funding per capita at $15.95. Wyoming landed in a four-way tie for No. 1 in this category with North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont.

There's many benefits that can come from Texas investing more into its own creative arts sector. SmileHub says it's been proven to better one's mental health, and provides a greater likelihood of children and young adults getting recognition for their academic achievements. Engaging with art can also bridge gaps in communication between different cultures or political groups, the report said.

"Creating an environment where the arts thrive requires access to artistic opportunities, charitable giving to support artists, policies and businesses to sustain the art economy, and an emphasis on the arts in education," the report said.

The top 10 best states for the arts are:

No.1 – New York
No. 2 – Washington
No. 3 – Oregon
No. 4 – California
No. 5 – Montana
No. 6 – Vermont
No. 7 – Colorado
No. 8 – Massachusetts
No. 9 – New Mexico
No. 10 – Illinois

The full report and its methodology can be found on smilehub.org.

arts-culture texas reports